Meaning of our Dreams

@Naia
/cry sorry I took ages!!

Speech.

As Naia heeded her unspoken want, Inali gazed at their reflections. Naia was right, for from their physical appearances they could be twins. A look of similar awe crossed her features and she couldn't help but mentally admit they were an alluring pair. Naia's voice beside her broke her from her conflicted musings and Inali stared down at her near-double. Confusion shined in her eyes and her head tilted to the side slightly. The Republic? Never had she heard the name, and couldn't remember her.mother ever speaking of the name. Aligning herself normally, Inali shook her head. "No, I have never heard of that name," the blue-eyed woman spoke softly. It was unfortunate, for Inali couldn't place why in the world Naia seemed so familiar. It was really beginning to grain on her nerves. Opening her maw, Inali's own question slipped out her maw. "Have you ever crossed by the Wayhan Valley?" Hope laced her tone, for she desperately wanted to know why this woman was so familair to her.

As she waited for an answer, Inali struggled with her own inner battles. So bad did she want to get closer to this woman, but she was afraid of her reaction. Would Naia be disgusted? Would she, like Inali, feel happy at the close contact? Deciding to just take the plunge, the woman took a mental deep breath and moved to Naia's side. She lowered herself so that the length of her body curved around Naia's and her head laid near her shoulder. Her muzzle instinctively breathed in the tantalizing scent that was Naia's alone. The scent that made her head spin and her paws tingle and her heart seem to beat ten million miles a minute.

(This post was last modified: Apr 28, 2014, 09:31 PM by Inali.)

OOC|| No worries! I'm about to make you wait 8 days. :( I'm pretty sure this will be my last crazy long shift in the woods though ||

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Naia sighed in a disappointment at the answer. She knew it would have been a long shot—The Republic lay north of Relic through the Pass, and their members knew nothing of these lands, passing down the theory that the Great Pass continued on into nothingness for eternity. Who would leave the comforts of home to explore that? Only Naia, who believed the bedtime stories told by her aging elders. According to them, the Pass eventually opened up onto a great mountain, marking the gorgeous, expansive territory of the Hidden Tree Wolves. The Wolves of the Hidden Tree had been rumored to live peacefully in harmony with the natural world and in respect for one another. While Naia hadn’t found the legendary pack as she had set out to a year ago, she had found her own little slice of happiness here in Cut Rock River. Things had become almost ordinary.. almost.

Inali’s gaze was full of curiosity, eyes sparkling like two aquamarine stones. Naia desperately wanted to give her the answer she desired, reluctant to bring even the slightest bit of disappointment to her newest friend. ”No, never,” she finally answered, laying her head between her paws. Her tail thumped against the cave floor as Inali curled around her, warming her heart as well as her body. ”I reached this land by traveling through the Pass from the territory of my birth.. I saw no valleys on that journey, but I wish I had. I’m sure it was a beautiful place.” It must have been, if you came out of there.

Naia turned her head so that she could look at Inali face-to-face. They were snuggled so tightly that she had to shift her body a bit, creating a small gap between them into which precious heat began escaping. The agouti lady hated creating even the tiniest distance, but she had to be sure that Inali understood fully what Naia was about to tell her. She had to see the delicate woman’s entire reaction and read the emotion straight from her face.

”The Republic- my birthpack- was created from young misfits and wanderers, most of them vagrants because they couldn’t conform to the hierarchy of a traditionally structured pack.” Naia could understand the sentiment—she went through that phase herself around two years of age. It still amazed her how happy she found herself now among Maksim’s family; the epitome of traditional structure. ”The pack at its formation had no ranks, and few rules.. by the time I was born our numbers had swelled overwhelmingly due to unchecked breeding.” By that point it had also become obvious that they needed someone in charge, so a council of elders- most of them the original packmembers- had been appointed. The true irony of The Republic was that when the elders began passing laws to correct the inherent issues that arose in the society of their creation, they were quite similar to the rules of traditional hierarchical packs; e.g. the law that created Naia’s Omega position and banned those in that position from breeding.

”In light of the population challenge, untraditional pairings were perfectly acceptable—encouraged even, at least somewhat.” Naia’s honey eyes fixated on Inali as she spoke the word “untraditional,” hoping that the meaning was quite clear to her companion. ”Still, it was never a lifestyle I imagined for myself..” An understatement, to be sure. Upon finding out she had been barred from creating offspring, an outraged young Naia had abandoned her birthpack in search of a place where she could create her own family. Fascinating, how priorities can change in a year. ”…Until now.” The petite woman fell silent as she spoke those final two words, still watching Inali as she waited for a response. It was all out there now—Naia could only hope her companion felt the same way.

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@Naia
Noooo :( At least, you'll have this to look forward to :D

Speech.

Inali's hopeful face fell as Naia answered with a negative response. In her travels to reach Relic Lore, she had never come across the Wayhan Valley. The woman let out a dissapointed sigh, but made herself listen to Naia's words. The pair was nestled closely together, their fur mingling and Inali felt like she was in heaven, despite the dissapointment that Naia had caused with her answer. Her gaze snapped to Naia's as she felt the pette woman move away, thinking that she had done something wrong. To her relief, the agouti female only put little space between the two and started to speak. Her ears pricking in attention, the woman listened as Naia spoke of her home. As she explained how her pack had come to be, Inali rose her brows. Not in a derogatory maner that showed contempt, but at shock and curiousity. She had never heard of a pack like that, and was eager to learn more of their ways.

Naia spoke of untraditional pairings being common in the pack somewhat and if possible, her brows rose even higher. Inali was astonished atbhow this pack was so very different from her own, but held her tongue, determined to not speak her piece until Naia was finished.

Naia's last words made Inali's breath catch. Had she understood correctly? Did Naia really feel this same attraction and wanted to pursue it further? Inali opened her maw, but then abruptly closed it. What could she say? Making sure to keep eye contact, Inali began. I was born in a pack very different than yours. My parents ruled over the Wayhan Valley and my father craved traditionalism. If someone didn't conform to his beliefs and his thoughts on what was right, he had no problem kicking them out. He hated anything and any one that conflicted with his views. If you weren't strong enough, smart enough, skilled enough...you were seen as weak. My father was an evil man, but once his own daughter started showing signs that she wouldn't be as 'great' as his sons, he sent me off." This was only the back story of what was to come.

Letting the words sink in, Inali continued. "It took me a log time after that to find Relic Lore, for I spent almost a full year as a loner. I joined Whisper Caverns, and as if the Fates couldn't curse me enough...I met a woman. She was our healer. We were...close. I had never felt something for someone, especially a woman, so strongly ever in my life. But, the stars were not aligned for us. She got lost in a blizzard and has yet to return." Her voice was getting shaky as she spoke of Simaea, and Inali swallowed thickly. Her eyes shut tight for a couple moments as she gathered her composure. Reopening them, the woman continued."I have never felt such a strong connection with a woman like I did with her...until now." The words were out, but Inali still had more. "I'm afraid. Simaea...Simaea leaving broke me, Naia. I wasn't the same for days. But...but I'm terrified that if we begin something...and you leave...it will end up shattering me." Her blue orbs showed her vulnerability. She hadn't been this open with someone in a long time. Not being able to hold eye contact any longer, Inali turned her face to the other direction, ashamed.

(This post was last modified: Apr 29, 2014, 09:22 PM by Inali.)

OOC|| Wrap up this one up?||

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Her companion abruptly inhaled as Naia admitted her feelings, and the Timber lady’s ears flattened as she was suddenly overcome with a bout of uncharacteristic shyness. She had trouble holding Inali’s sapphire gaze as she waited for an answer, feeling quite exposed now that her emotions were out in the open but Inali had yet to admit hers. The alluring woman’s maw gaped open for a moment, and Naia marveled at how even a dumbfounded expression looked beautiful on her delicate features. Instead of commenting on Naia’s confession however, she launched into her own life’s story. Naia shifted uncomfortably, feeling very much on edge as she tried to guess where the story was leading. Her heart beat faster as Inali described a harsh, traditional upbringing—one that surely would have considered Naia’s latest admission the height of taboo. If this was her companion’s background, wouldn’t she think Naia’s feelings were repulsive?

Inali paused her story at the point where she was exiled from the pack of her birth. The agouti lady’s eyes widened in disbelief.. She couldn’t imagine a father turning his back on his own daughter. She rested her nose against Inali’s shoulder in an effort to comfort the woman during her moment of silence. To be separated against your will from family, from the pack of your birth.. for a wolf, it was a punishment worse than death. It wasn’t fair at all—that she had to experience such pain so early in life. Naia drew away to meet her gaze once more as the Whisper Caverns scout continued her story.

”And as if the Fates couldn't curse me enough...I met a woman. The words echoed in Naia’s mind, louder and louder even as she attempted to concentrate on the details of the previous relationship that Inali was providing. This woman had already loved once.. and to top it off, it had been another woman. The thought that Simaea could be lost out there somewhere made Naia’s stomach twist—what if she returned?—but she could not ignore the flicker of hope that ignited in her chest. If Inali had loved a woman once, perhaps it was possible she could love again..? Having never had a lover before, Naia knew little about how the reputably fickle emotion worked.

Finally, Inali spoke the confession that Naia had been waiting to hear. ”..Until now.” Until now. They were the same words Naia had uttered, and as her companion spoke them the petite woman felt every nerve in her body light on fire with joy. Her tail began to hammer against the cave floor almost uncontrollably, and her face cracked into her giant trademark grin. She couldn’t ever remember being happier to hear a single sentence. She cocked her head curiously as Inali spoke again, and her smile faded as her companion admitted that she was afraid. Afraid? Of what? This is fantastic! She listened intently as the sapphire-eyed woman explained the emotion, and Naia found herself nodding as she finished speaking. Inali turned away from her then, and in the absence of her gaze Naia could swear she felt colder.

She pressed her muzzle into the fur behind Inali’s ear, wishing that she could just absorb Inali’s pain through the contact. ”I understand,” she whispered in a low voice. Though she had never loved before, she knew the pain of loss. Inali had lost so much in her life—it made perfect sense that she would hesitate to trust in someone. To love someone. ”I’m not going anywhere,” she said, her tone a little louder and more insistent. She was blissfully happy as a Cut Rock River Scout and Second.. the only reason she could imagine leaving would be if she fell in love and received Maksim’s blessing to start her own pack. Of course, if her lover happened to be a woman from a neighboring pack, that option became a moot point.

Naia would prove that she was worthy of Inali’s trust and love. She was loyal to the bone—Maksim didn’t trust her as a Scout and his Second for nothing—and soon Inali would see that. ”As the sun sets on each and every quarter moon, Inali Wayha, I’ll be in this spot. You can count on it.” She drew away as she whispered the last sentence. The possibility of seeing the captivating woman once a week brought a puppyish half-grin to her maw. Hopefully the woman would take her up on it. Realizing that she was no longer shaking, she rose gracefully to her feet. ”Please think about it,” she urged, with the tone of a farewell. It was up to Inali to decide where this would go, and it was a decision she would have to make on her own. Naia wouldn’t rush her. Even if they were just friends for awhile.. even if it took months of sunset meetings under the waterfall.. Naia would wait.

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@Naia Just tag or pm me when you wish to set up another one <3

Speech.

The comforting touch made heat flow through her body, and the petite woman savored it. Inali continued to listen to Naia's words, taking them to heart, though still not being able to find the strength to look into Naia's honey gaze once more. When the Cut Tock River wolf finly took her leave, Inali turned her head in the direction of Naia's graceful departure. Inali yearned for the she wolf to come back. But, how could she betray Simaea like that? All thia time, Inali had immersed herself in the momwnt, not once thinking of her past beloved. Her ears pressed back into her skull, ashamed. What was wrong with her? Yes, there was a possibility, a high possibility, that Simi was dead, but she held no proof. She had been cuddling up to another woman and Inali had no excuse. If Simaea came now, what could Inali tell her?

Nothing. Inali would be able to to tell her nothing. But she couldn't just think of Simaea's feelings, she also had to think of Naia. The two women clearly shared a connection, and it wasn't just physical. It wasn't like Naia was her mate. It would hold no harm if they were just friends. But deep in her heart, Inali knew she was wrong. If she kept meeting with Naia, nothing would stop the scout from falling for her. Hard. Breathing to steady her thoughts, the young woman nimbly lifted herself to all four paws. Heading back to the Caverns, Inali knew she had a tough decision to make. Or rather, a hard acceptance to make, for she knew already which woman would end up holding her heart.

{Fade Out}